Pleasanton OKs 12 new homes near downtown

PLEASANTON -- The City Council has approved the construction of 12 homes near downtown, while sparing a 101-year-old home still standing on the site.

The five-member council's unanimous vote Tuesday night also rezoned the area, changing it to "medium-density residential" and allowing Ponderosa Homes, a Pleasanton-based developer, to proceed with its development plans. A mobile home park currently stands at the 2.1-acre property at 4202 Stanley Blvd., just a few blocks north of Main Street, downtown's main artery.

"But only two or three of the mobile home spaces are being used at this time," said Brian Dolan, Pleasanton's director of community development.

Jan Batcheller, a former president of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, was one of several people who spoke in support of the development at the meeting.

"The site under discussion has been an eyesore for at least 40 years," Batcheller said, later adding, "This small infill project will be a most attractive addition and bring more customers to our downtown."

City officials said the project's preconstruction progress had been slowed, as Ponderosa Homes studied whether a two-story home, built on the property in 1912, qualifies as a historical landmark. Complicating matters was the fact that one of the house's past owners illegally added a second story in the 1960s.

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"We found that the house lacks the historical qualities to qualify for the state and national registry," said Pam Hardy, a Ponderosa Homes official.

The City Council could have voted to demolish the century-old home. Councilwoman Karla Brown, though, said the house had more than one potential buyer and is worth preserving, despite its flaws, especially because it did not prevent Ponderosa from moving forward with the development.